This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of 5-Fluoro-2'-deoxycytidine (FdCyd) when given together with tetrahydrouridine (THU) in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). FdCyd may inhibit cancer cell growth by increasing the production in cells of compounds that suppress growth or by otherwise killing cells. Although FdCyd is stable as a drug solution, it is rapidly inactivated by an enzyme present in people. THU is included in the treatment to inhibit the enzyme, prolonging the time FdCyd remains in the body

Patients receive FdCyd IV over 3 hours and THU IV over 3 hours on days 1-10. Courses repeat every 21days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Drug: 5-fluoro-2-deoxycytidine

Given IV

Other Name: FdCyd

Drug: tetrahydrouridine

Given IV

Other Name: THU

Other: laboratory biomarker analysis

Correlative studies

Genetic: reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction

Correlative studies

Other Name: RT-PCR

Genetic: DNA methylation analysis

Correlative studies

Detailed Description:

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of FdCyd administered with a fixed dose of THU in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), once daily on days 1-10 of a 21-day treatment cycle. II. To describe the toxicities of FdCyd/THU in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). III. To document all clinical responses and hematologic improvement in patients treated with FdCyd/THU. IV. To obtain preliminary information regarding the effect of FdCyd/THU on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and bone marrow aspirates, including malignant myeloid cells; the ratio of gamma- to beta-globin messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in blood cells; and serum cytokines. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of FdCyd. Patients receive FdCyd intravenously (IV) over 3 hours and THU IV over 3 hours on days 1-10. Courses repeat every 21days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up for 4 weeks.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must have the following diagnosis:

Acute myeloid leukemia

Relapsed or refractory

Newly diagnosed in patients age 60 and above or of any age unable to receive standard induction regimen

Patients with MDS with an International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) score >= 0.5

Newly diagnosed

Relapsed or refractory

Any prior therapy must have been completed >= 2 weeks prior to enrollment and the participant must have recovered to eligibility levels from prior toxicity

Valproic acid not being used for seizure control should be stopped 72 hours before starting therapy

Prior therapy with hypomethylating agent (decitabine or azacitidine) is allowed and must be completed >= 6 weeks prior to enrollment

Relapsed patients are eligible post allogeneic or matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant after 100 days; there should be no active acute graft versus host disease of any grade and patient should not be receiving immunosuppression for acute graft versus host disease; the patient must not have Chronic Graft versus Host disease (cGvHD) other than mild skin, oral, or ocular cGvHD not requiring systemic immunosuppression

Relapsed patients are eligible post autologous transplant after 100 days post transplant, with recovery of their counts absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > 1000 and platelets greater than 75K at some point post transplant

Pregnant women will be excluded from this trial; nursing women are also excluded; women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) for the duration of study participation, and for 3 months after completion of study; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately

Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Patients with additional (other than AML/MDS) currently active primary malignancy other than curatively treated carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the cervix, or basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin; patients are not considered to have a "currently active" malignancy if they have completed therapy for a prior malignancy and disease free from prior malignancies for > 2 years

Patients with active central nervous system (CNS) disease; these patients are excluded from this clinical trial because of their poor prognosis and because they often develop progressive neurologic dysfunction that would confound the evaluation of neurologic and other adverse events

Active infections, including opportunistic following allo, MUD, or auto transplant (including but not limited to cytomegalovirus [CMV], fungal infection etc)

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01041443